Charlie
by skiergal
Summary: After Cold Lazarus, Sarah and Jack try again...but will they succeed? FINISHED...for now.
1. Cold Lazarus

**Disclaimer**: Stargate is not mine, no matter how much I want it, and just F.Y.I., things would look slightly different around the SGC if I did.

**Spoilers**: Cold Lazarus at the moment; we'll see as the story progresses

**Setting**: Season Uno & Season Eight, beginning of Season Nine

**AUTHORS NOTE: **This starts off with Jack & Sarah together, but stick with it please, you might like the end. I just recently saw Cold Lazarus, and had to write one with Jack and Sarah's reconciliation, even if they don't end up together…(hint hint) The timing is also slightly off, but it shouldn't be too noticeable.

-CHARLIE-

Sarah ran out of the hospital, tears streaming down her face. The past several hours had been the most emotionally trying since the divorce. But, she had seen Jack AND Charlie in the space of a few hours. That, she decided, gave her room to completely break down. So, she did. She sobbed, her face in her hands, her fists bracing her heaving body against the brick exterior of the ER wing.

"Um, excuse me, ma'am, are you alright?" One of the EMT's asked, walking over from a gurney, a concerned look gracing his features. She glanced over his features, his fine hair cut to a short bowl cut, his angular face, and boyish features. He jumped back at the sudden outburst of tears coming from the anguished woman.

"I'm _gasp_ fine….just…_whew_ need to collect myself." She choked out.

"Ah, okay, just, ah, let some one know if you, um, need something?" He offered. She shook her head, and he took that as dismissal, and hurried away, leaving Sarah sobbing quietly behind.

After what seemed like an eternity, her tears stopped, and she breathed heavily, before turning to where her car was haphazardly parked. As she approached her late model sedan, she stopped in her tracks, and immediately started weeping. He reached her right as her knees gave out from under her. He caught her, lowered her slowly to the ground, smoothed her hair from her face, and brought her body to his, while she bawled uncontrollably.

"Shh, baby, shh, I'm here, we're okay," he whispered into her ear, one hand cradling her head, the other wiping the tears from her eyes, ignoring the strange looks from the passer-bys.

After several minutes in this position Jack's knees started to protest the awkward position they were currently in, and Sarah's head was quickly becoming dead weight in his hand.

"Sarah, honey, let's go to the park, and talk about today." Jack said, turning her face to his, coaxing her eyes open.

"No," she mumbled, "the cemetery…we need to see Charlie; together."

"Okay, but then can we talk about this, please, I need it, and I think you do too," he said, gesturing to the wet spot on his t-shirt. She cracked a smile, and Jack brightened, seeing the first smile from her in years.

They took the scenic route to the cemetery, not saying anything, just enjoying the presence of one another. When they reached the entrance, Jack pulled to the side, and grabbed Sarah's hand.

"What?" She said, indicating his firm grip on her hand.

"Nothing." He replied, his eyes dark and unreadable.

"No, Jack, we are not going to do that anymore."

"Do what?"

"That military bravado, the unemotional solider." She replied, starting to anger.

"Sarah, I'm not unemotional…"

"Jack, you say that now, but you never gave in. You let me see you, the real you, maybe half a dozen times, and dammit, we were married for almost ten years!" She exclaimed, wrenching her hand out of his grasp, and turning her back to him. He studied her for a moment, and then replied.

"Alright, Sarah, you want me, here it is: I work for a top-secret branch of the U.S. Government called the Stargate Command. My team and I travel to other worlds to fight aliens. I had a son. I also had a wife." He said, his voice softening. She glanced over her left shoulder, and saw his eyes dark, but this time with emotion. She turned completely back to him.

"Jack, I never gave up on you. But, you gave up on us." She whispered, tears once again threatening to fall from her eyes. There was a pregnant pause, and then he straightened up, and opened the door.

"Let's go see Charlie." He said, all evidence of the earlier emotion wiped clean from his face. Quietly Sarah unbuckled, and let the tears fall. They were back to square one.

She followed him to Charlie's grave, but left enough space between them that he didn't realize she had followed. She crept closer, not wanting to invade on his privacy, but curious what her ex-husband had to say.

"….she really is, you know? But she, I don't know, sees right through me. I always feel so vulnerable. But she loved you, so much. Still does, actually. Me too buddy, always, okay, remember that. No matter what, you are my son."

Sarah backed up, slowly, her mind working at a mile a minute. Sometimes she felt like she never knew Jack O'Neill. He had depths that even she had never known, as a lover, as a friend, or as a wife. A snap jerked her from her thoughts, and she realized that she had tripped over a twig lying on the ground. She looked up immediately, and found Jack's eyes on hers.

"You heard that." Not a question, a statement.

"…..Yes." she finally answered. He breathed out.

"Do you need to say anything?"

"No, I'm good…" she stammered.

"Well then, let's go…."

"Let's go get a pizza and go to Sunset Rock. You can't run away from me up there." She said, trying to give him a pointed look through her puffy eyes. He looked at her for a long moment, and then gave in.

"Alright, but I need to…."

"No, Jack, we are not doing anything until we sit down and talk, alright?" She said, putting her foot down.

"Alright," he consented, "But can we get pineapple?"

Sarah laughed, and fell in step beside him.

"Jack, you know how much I hate pineapple pizza."

"I know, but it was worth a shot," he replied, a boyish grin on his face.

"Jonathan O'Neill, you are insufferable." She said, grinning all the while.

They arrived at Sunset Rock a good hour before the sun was scheduled to go down, and sat on the cold granite, their bodies touching as much as possible for two different people, not sitting on top of each other.

Finally, Sarah broke the silence.

"Jack, what happened to us?" She said, her voice strong, but she kept looking at the horizon, not at him. He looked at her through the corner of his eye, but could detect no hostility, no anger. After a significant pause, he answered.

"Charlie happened to us. And he was the best thing to ever happen to me." Sarah looked at him sharply, trying to see if he was attempting to goad her, but all she saw was the honestly of his answer. She didn't reply, just interlaced their hands and kissed his knuckles.

"Me too, Jack, me too."


	2. The Deciding Factor

**Disclaimer**: Stargate is not mine, no matter how much I want it, and just F.Y.I., things would look slightly different around the SGC if I did.

**Spoilers**: Cold Lazarus at the moment; we'll see as the story progresses

**Setting**: Season Uno & Season Eight, beginning of Season Nine

**AUTHORS NOTE:** Thank you to my reviewers, and to everyone else, I love reviews, please, just take thirty seconds to let me know what you think!

**CHAPTER 2**

**THE DECIDING FACTOR**

Over the next weeks, Sarah and Jack met occasionally at the coffee house, or at the bookstore, and talked. Not always about their personal issues, but about whatever was on their minds. Jack had gotten clearance for Sarah, seeming as she already somewhat knew of the gate, and it made Jack's life a helluva lot easier. Sarah had also started receiving bouquets of flowers from "anonymous". She suspected they were from Jack, but didn't know for sure, and was reluctant to ask him, because romance had never been his strong suit.

After three weeks of casual meetings, Jack decided to take it to the next level, and truth be told, he was wary of the situation. They had started to patch their torn relationship, but Jack couldn't get a read on her. He wasn't completely sure that he **wanted** Sarah back, but he didn't want to push her away again, just to end up an old bachelor. As he buttoned his top shirt button, he noticed his hands were shaking, ever so slightly. Sarah was having the same thoughts as she slipped into a soft peach sundress. Jack was taking her out to dinner that night, and she was fretting over what she was sure was going to be the start of something new. Whether it was going to be a romantic relationship was most likely going to be decided by the outcome of tonight's dinner, their first real **date** since their separation.

Her doorbell rang at exactly seven 'o'clock, and she kissed her father's cheek, and slipped out the door. The first thing that she saw was the truck, and looking around, tried to find its owner. She found him hiding behind the truck, a sheepish grin on his face.

"Ding dong ditch, Jack….isn't that a little bit elementary school?" She asked, a smile tugging at her lips.

"I couldn't resist…" He said, before straightening.

"So, where are we going?" She inquired, climbing into the cab.

"Well, I was thinking that little restaurant in town, with the live music" He said.

"Sounds good." She replied, and they backed out of the driveway, headed for the deciding dinner for the rest of their lives.

The meal was delicious, the conversation light and sparse, and the bluegrass band was delightful. They ate contentedly, each wrapped in their own thoughts, each fretful of what the outcome would ultimately be.

After they had both finished, Jack stood, and offered his hand to Sarah.

"May I have this dance, young lady?" he questioned.

"Jack, flattery will get you no where in life, you know that?" She responded ruefully.

"Tsk, tsk, you obviously have forgotten how utterly suave I can be, haven't you?" he whispered in her ear, one hand holding hers, the other resting on the small of her back, guiding her. She laughed, a deep sincere laugh, and nodded, relaxing into his guidance.

When they reached the dance floor, he twirled her before bringing her to him, loving the feel of a woman in his arm. He tensed. _A woman,_ he thought, _not Sarah, but a woman_. Sarah looked up, confusion evident in her face.

"Something wrong Jack?" she asked, pulling her face back from his shoulder.

"No, I'm fine," He said. At her skeptical look he said, "Really, I'm okay."

She shrugged, and stepped back into him, and he tried to banish the thought from his head.

After several dances, they were both feeling slightly awkward around the other, so they went back to their table, paid the bill, and left, headed towards a local bar, both of them feeling the need to relax, and if it was not attainable naturally, they were going to call in the expert: hard liquor.

Jack ordered a Jack Daniels for himself, and a Sam Adams for Sarah, and carried them back to their table, doing the shuffle to avoid the early drunks. They sat in silence, chugging the drinks, and constantly raising their hands for refills.

After the fourth (or was it the fifth?) drink Jack started talking, his words not paying justice to the amount of liquor he had taken down.

"Sarah, do you want to go back to my place? It'll be much quieter there, and we can talk."

"Suuureee-ee, thaa would be gooood…" she slurred, the effects of her beers catching up to her. Jack loaded her into the truck, and drove home slowly, watching Sarah's every move, ready to pull over if need be.

They made it back to his house uneventfully, and he half-carried, half-dragged Sarah into the house, and plopped her down on the couch, before walking into the kitchen to start the coffee percolator. After several moments it was done, and he handed one cup to her, before falling into a chair himself. After a long silence Sarah spoke, jerking Jack from his inspection of the chair's worn blue cover.

"Jack, do you love me?" She said, her eyes piercing his.

"Where did that come from?" he yelped, trying to recede into the chair as she stood up slowly, and walked towards him, a dark look in her eyes.

"I, yes, sure, I don't know, Sarah…Sarah what are you doing?" his voice changing from unsure to confused. Sarah was slowly unzipping the back of her dress.

"Jack, do you want me?" She asked, letting the dress fall to her ankles, leaving her clad in her bra and underwear.

"WHAT?" He exclaimed, taking in the scene that was slowly unfolding before him.

"Jack, I'm drunk, I'm alone, and this is the fastest way I know to solve this tension." She advanced forward, a feral look in her eye. Slowly she bent down so that she was eye-level with him, and then steadily she leaned forward, and brushed her lips against his. Back and forth, just barely touching his lips, she taunted him, and teased him. She backed away, and looked at his deer-in-the-headlights expression. Then, she retreated up the stairs, only stumbling a couple of times, before disappearing from his view.

Jack sat, stunned. But, he didn't have very long to ponder his current predicament, because Sarah appeared at the landing, and his "sidearm" was making itself known. So, he picked himself up, and slowly walked towards the steps, approaching Sarah slowly. Her eyes were slightly glazed from the alcohol, but they still held a wild look. She walked down towards him, and grabbed his hand, placing it on her cheek. He took a step up, and cautiously went to her. She waited for him, and then gradually let her lips find his. They stood like that for longer that normal, their lips just barely touching each other's, before Jack started to trace her lip with his tongue. She opened her mouth willingly, and soon they were in a furious battle of tongues, each wanting to get farther into each other, each wanting more. He grabbed her hips, and pulled her to him, and she wrapped her legs around him, and he waddled up and into his room, before slamming the door behind them. Muffled groans could be heard, and then there was silence.

NEXT UP: THE MORNING AFTER


	3. The Morning After

**Disclaimer: **If you want to read it that badly, look at the earlier chapters! 

**--Same for the spoilers etc.**

**Author's Note: **This seems to happen to me all the time….I have a wonderful idea, write it down, post it, and then loose steam immediately. So, to the people that reviewed the two earlier chapters, I am sorry, and hope to be more prompt in the future.

**Chapter Three: The Morning After**

"_Beep, Beep, Beep_," the alarm clock sounded, at exactly six AM.

"Hello Colorado Springs, this is KZ32, here with all you early birds! It is two minutes past the hour, and it is shaping up to be an ugly day out there!" Jack rolled over, and hit the snooze button. But, after years of abuse, it refused to turn off, and the radio announcer's obnoxious voice continued to blast through the room. Sarah moaned, and flopped onto her back, clamping Jack's pillow over her head. Giving up on his current task, Jack whacked the clock with his hand, sending it flying across the room, and leaving him holding his hand in agony.

"Damn, that thing was hard." He muttered under his breath, turning back over, only to find that his pillow was currently in use. He ripped it from her grasp, and was surprised to see Sarah's dark eyes staring back at him.

"Jack, we need to talk." She stated quietly, having realized their current position. She was carefully averting her eyes from his.

"Sarah, I have a hell of a hangover, can we do this later?" She nodded in silent submission, and stumbled out of bed, grabbing her discarded dress, and slipping into it.

"Call me when you've learned how." And with that echoing in Jack's mind, she shut the door, and slipped down the hallway.

"SARAH!" he called, donning his boxers and a worn-in "Ft. Lauderdale, Florida" t-shirt. He reached the front door as it was closing. He stood against it, his head resting on the paneled wood, until a soft knock brought him out of his reverie. He swung the door open to see Sarah standing on his doorstep.

"I, ah, realized that um, this is kind of your house and that you brought me here which means that my car is at my house which means that I can't get…." Jack put a finger on her lips, ending her rambling.

"Shhh. Come back in, and we'll talk." Sarah nodded, and he shut the door behind her.

After the coffee had percolated, and Sarah had had fifteen minutes or so to decide what to tell Jack, the man of her thoughts appeared, cup in hand.

"Penny for 'em." He said.

"Oh, well, I was thinking about last night." At that, his mouth curved into a half-smile.

"Sarah, don't over-analyze, not before the first cup of coffee sets in. I have to deal with Carter spouting off theoretical analogies, mathematical calculations, and her 'thoughts' about the 'gate, all before a decent hour in the morning." At this she laughed.

"Is Carter…" she asked, a quizzical look on her face.

"The blonde woman, the one on my team."

"Oh, that's what I thought. She's an astrophysicist, right?"

"Unfortunately…" Jack grimaced. "She's brilliant, but that has it's down fallings, trust me."

After several more minutes of Jack going through the pros and cons of all three people on his team, the atmosphere was much more relaxed. But, the time to talk about their earlier "adventure" was imminent, but both were reluctant to break the compatibility that had been resurrected.

"Jack, did we use protection?" Sarah asked, out of the blue.

"Umm, I don't think so….shit, we didn't, did we?"

"Yeah, well, that was the first thing that hit me this morning, and, Jack, I had my period two weeks ago."

"Ah, okay, what does that mean again?" He asked, trying to sound contrite.

"It means that I'm ovulating," and at his 'I'm still confused look', she continued, "Which is the time when you are most likely to get pregnant."

"Oh," was all he could get out.

"Yeah, so, I will take a test in a couple of weeks, and I'll let you know."

"Wait, am I not going to see you?"

"That was the other thing." She took a deep breath. "I was distraught about Charlie, and you walked away; you put the military face on. And, truth be told, I don't love you anymore." At his hurt look, she added, "No, those weren't the right words. I still love you, but I'm not IN love with you. You understand the difference?"

He nodded. "I'm glad you were the one to say that. I was wondering how to tell you that last night was a mistake. But, I don't want to run you off! Can't we be friends? And, IF, and I stress the word IF, you are pregnant, we will discuss what do to." Sarah smiled.

"Jack, I need space. In two months, my world got turned around. I need to process. I'll call you when I'm ready." He nodded,

"Well, let's get you home."

She had no sooner walked through the front door, when her dad appeared from the sunroom.

"Sarah, honey, you okay?" He said. She turned around, her eyes brimming with tears.

"Why does he affect me so drastically? Why am I so vulnerable?"

"Shh sweetie, you'll be fine, do you want some tea, ice cream? I saved some of that cake from last night, and I…" She waved him off.

"No, Dad, what I want right now is to go to bed." He nodded, and put a hand on the small of her back, and guided her upstairs. She fell asleep quickly, with her father sitting in the chair, the chair that he made for her when she was born. The security she felt was radiating through the air, and he kissed her forehead, before tucking her blankets in, and leaving.

_Jack O'Neill didn't mean to hurt her. He's always been completely oblivious to his affect on her. _He mused. _But, after her coming crying to daddy twice, I think the man needs a wake-up call. Literally. _So, he walked downstairs, and punched in the number of the house that had been Jack's, ever since the divorce.

"Hello?" The voice came over the line.

"Jack, this is Henry."

"Henry, how are you?" Jack asked.

"I'm fine, Sarah, on the other hand, is not faring quite as well." Had he been in the same room as Jack, he would have seen the younger man cringe.

"Yeah, I would classify last night as a 4, maybe Category 5 disaster." Henry chuckled. The man had always had a talent for making him laugh.

"Just remember Jack, she'll come around. But, let her. I would rather that you not come 'round for a while. Let her recuperate on her own."

"I will." Jack promised.

"Bye Jack."

"Take care, Henry. And give Sarah my best."

"_nnnnnnnnnnnnn,"_ The line went dead. And when Jack O'Neill made a promise, he kept it.

Over the next years, he and Henry kept in close touch. Jack had taken the old man into his confidence, but had never made another move towards Sarah. He and Sarah finally talked several months after the one-night-of-hell, as Jack had taken to calling it, and after they were sure of no unwanted pregnancies. Their relationship was rockier than it had been after the botched mission to the crystal world, simply because of the "one-night-of-hell".

But, one night, as Jack walked into his house, having just returned from a _particularly_ bad planet, the phone rang.

"O'Neill." He barked into his phone.

"Finally, **thank you** God, Jack, it's Henry."

"Henry," his demeanor changed instantly, "How's it going?"

"Ah, fine, look, I need some help."

"Sure, what can I do for…"

"Great, thanks, oy vey, Sarah's getting married in less than 48 hours, and, NO YOU ARE NOT WEARING THAT JAMIE!!"

"Wait, Sarah's getting **married**? Since when?"

"Ah, you remember Kennedy? Him." Henry said, sounding frazzled.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Jack yelled, slightly ticked at one of his clos**er** friends.

"Jack, you've been MIA for the last ten weeks, what did you want me to do?" Jack had to concede. SG-1 had been captured, tortured: the usual, and after convincing Janet that two extra weeks in the infirmary would do nothing for him, had come home.

"Okay; what can I do for you?"

"Come over; we need help with the, well, everything. Just come over, alright!?!" Jack agreed, and was soon on his way to his ex-wife's second marriage.

When he arrived, he was immediately thrown into work, not stopping until the next morning, when he rushed home, grabbed his dress blues, and stopped for the LARGE cup of coffee at the local coffee shop, before picking Sam's bike up, and picking up his date. And, surprisingly, at 6:30 that evening, Sarah was walking down the aisle on Henry's arm. He smiled at her as she passed, and nodded. She seemed to take that as the last goodbye, and turned her attention back to her fiancée. Kennedy had seen Jack, and recognized him from old family pictures, and the fact that the ex-husband was at his wedding had him slightly nervous. But, when the pastor announced, "You may kiss the bride," Kennedy was completely focused. Jack joined in throwing rice at the newlyweds, and focused for the first time solely on his date. She had her nicest clothes on, but like Jack, was incredibly uncomfortable.

"Hey, what do you say we head out after I say hi?" She nodded her assent, and held Jack's hand tightly as he kissed Sarah, and gave Kennedy a nod.

"You're a lucky one." Jack commented, as he passed Kennedy. Sarah smiled, and Kennedy nodded his head. "Don't I know it! I don't know what I did to deserve her, but I plan on keeping her around for a while."

Jack smiled, and turned back to Cassie.

"Where do you want to go kiddo? And don't you dare say Vortex, we got in trouble with the doc last time we did that."

"But, Uncle Jack…." Cassie whined.

"Well, let me think about it. No." He said, "Besides, I already decided. We're meeting Carter and Daniel at your house. And Carter might have a fit if her baby isn't back by nine." Cassie grinned knowingly.

"Uncle Jack, why is Aunt Sam so protective of her motorcycle? Besides, we don't even get to ride it. What fun is that?"

"I don't know Cass, but let's check the straps once more, and then we'll blow this Popsicle stand." Cassie giggled, and hopped into the cab of the truck as Jack checked the ropes securing the Indian in the bed of his Ford. Once he was satisfied, he hopped in alongside Cassie, who was riding shotgun, and started the motor with a roar. He backed out of the church parking lot, and put his blinker on. He had finished one chapter in his life. And, with his team, and family by his side, he was ready to start the next book in his life.

_FIN_

**a/n:** Alright, how many of you thought that Sam was his date to the wedding? C'mon, 'fess up! And please, review!!

↓ It's right there!!! Just say you read it, you don't have to say anything else.


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